a. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates to medical devices, including a catheter configured to provide an indication of contact between the catheter and tissue in a body.
b. Background Art
Catheters are used to perform a variety of tasks within human bodies and other bodies including the delivery of medicine and fluids, the removal of bodily fluids, and the transport of surgical tools and instruments. In the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation, for example, electrodes may be added to catheters for electrophysiological mapping of the surface of the heart and to deliver ablative energy to the surface, among other tasks. Catheters are typically routed to a region of interest through the vascular system. In a conventional approach, an introducer is inserted through the skin surface and a sheath having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the catheter is threaded through the vasculature to a region of interest. The catheter is then moved longitudinally through the sheath to the region of interest either manually or through the use of various types of robotic controls such as electromechanical drive systems.
In the case of an electrophysiological mapping catheter, electrode-to-tissue contact facilitates meaningful electrograms and accurate mapping of the heart. In the case of ablation catheters, sufficient contact may be required for effective formation of ablative lesions in the tissue. A variety of mechanisms and techniques have been employed to determine contact between catheters and tissue, but these are either complex and require additional components that increase the cost, size, and complexity of the catheter, or they are non-specific and difficult to interpret.
The disclosure herein has recognized a desire for a catheter that will minimize and/or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies.